The following statements of policy and methods were also adopted:
In a township or community requiring more than one church or pastor there should be a “federation of churches,” that is, a joint committee of pastors and delegates officially appointed by the several churches to learn and meet all needs, religious or social, which require coöperation or concerted action.
In communities whose compactness permits and whose population and resources require there should be only one congregation and pastor, but where two or more churches exist, churches should be united organically in a single denominational church, the denomination to be determined on the give and take plan. If organic union in a denominational church is not feasible, a federated church should be formed.
In a township or community where population and resources are inadequate to support more than one pastor, but where the population is so distributed that more than one place of worship and organized church are necessary, a federated circuit should be formed and a common pastor employed. The several churches should be officially represented on a joint committee who shall act for the circuit not only in employing the common pastor, but also in learning and meeting all needs, religious and social, which require coöperation and concerted action.
In the forming or re-forming of circuits it should be brought to pass that the various fields served by one pastor should be as close together as possible. To make the minister’s field as compact as possible, interdenominational circuits should be formed.
The rural ministry should, it possible, be so distributed that in each township there shall be a resident pastor.
Measures to prevent the recurrence of over-churched conditions should be taken by every branch of the church. Each should determine not to organize churches where they are not needed or certain to be needed. In a new community needing but one church, an expression of the people should be obtained as to the choice of the church to be established. The desires of the largest number should be followed.
Where several little churches exist in a sparsely settled community and a union or federation is not possible or advisable, consideration should be given to the plan of having all these withdraw, and inviting a branch of the church not represented locally to come in and organize a single church.
In the exchange or withdrawal of churches reciprocity should be at least State-wide in its extent.
Where a denomination is given control or dominance in a community by withdrawal of other denominations, the continuance of that control or dominance should be conditional on the church and minister maintaining in their service a high degree of efficiency—the standard of efficiency to be determined by the denominational leaders who should formulate a few simple principles by which the usefulness of a church can be measured. The denomination holding a field should, for a reasonable length of time, report to those withdrawing as to progress.